As increased amounts of work, education and recreation incorporate the use of computers, repetitive strain and stress injuries to the hands, wrists and arms and related conditions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, become more prevalent. Generally, these injuries result from the use of computer mice and keyboards and often occur from repeated physical movements, damaging tendons, nerves, muscles and other soft body tissues. These injuries present a serious and very painful condition that is far easier to prevent than to cure once onset occurs, and can crop up even in young, physically fit individuals. Often times, these injuries cause people to leave computer dependent careers, or even to be disabled and unable to perform mundane tasks which are generally taken for granted.
While the above description of the background problems is normally given in the context of repetitive stress injury caused by computer usage, it should be mentioned that there are other common occupations that involve similar repetitive stress injuries and even stress injuries to the elbow. Notable among those are artists that use drawing boards and such occupations as engineers, architects, cartoonists, etc.
Many support and wrap devices are commercially available to alleviate or prevent injuries associated with repetitive stress and strain to the wrist area. In particular, wrist rests and supports used in conjunction with keyboards and computer mice are widely available, whereon a user's wrists rest on a soft elongated pad which provides support while redirecting pressure points in the area. Devices of this type are further designed with the structure for keeping the wrist in a given position at all times in order to prevent injury while using a personal computer and other desktop devices.
A primary shortcoming of the many wrist support devices referenced above includes the fact that they lack versatility, that is to say, most are specific to one activity. There is a need for a versatile unit which can be used to provide frictionless movement of the forearm, elbow, wrist, etc. across a stationary surface, and which can be used to provide cushioning support to help keep the wrist in a neutral position and/or alleviate the stress at the forearm or the elbow caused by constant movement across a stationary surface.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved versatile glider and support usable in a variety of configurations, including use with a variety of different type of cushions.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a support device that may be individually customized for a particular job by use of various configurations, such as pad, no pad, glider, no glider, and pillows or cushions filled with different materials to provide different cushioning affects.
The method and manner for achieving the above recited objects, as well as others, will be apparent from the detailed description of the invention that follows.